


Happy Endings

by StrangledCreativity



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-01
Updated: 2016-04-01
Packaged: 2018-05-30 11:33:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6422287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StrangledCreativity/pseuds/StrangledCreativity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When life goes awry and death gets in the way, can one still find their Happy Ending?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Happy Endings

Happy Endings 

A week ago I would have told you that I had never been happier. A week ago I would have told you that I had just proposed to my girlfriend and that we were engaged. A week ago I considered myself one of the luckiest men alive. 

I had proposed in the normal cliché way as I had never been one to think up some big elaborate plan for something that could be done in an extremely simple and easy way. I had taken my girlfriend—Jasmine—to her favorite restaurant claiming, "What? A guy can't do something nice for his girlfriend every once and a while?"  

Jasmine had laughed, "I'm sure a guy could, but when you're the guy in question... a girl cant help but get suspicious," I laughed in response and quickly changed the subject, I was never good at keeping things from her. The car ride took about thirty minutes, the most suspenseful thirty minutes of my life I might add. The possibility of her saying no to my proposal occupying my thoughts as I attempted to have a normal conversation. 

When we arrived at the restaurant I had half a mind to turn back. What if she thought we were too young? What if she doesn't like me enough to commit to something like this, I mean... we're both twenty-five and she has an exciting and promising future ahead of her. Why would she want to marry someone like me? I remember trying to keep my composure as we walked to the table, and how nervous I was when we were eating. I had made up my mind to ask her between dinner and dessert, so the entire time we were eating there was a nervous undertone to everything I said.  

The moment the server had left with our dessert orders, I was down on one knee in front of her. I can remember the feeling of fear when she gasped, and the feeling of absolute relief when her face lit up a second later. She had happily grabbed my hand and pulled me straight into a kiss, eventually pulling away and murmuring, "Yes you idiot, how could I ever say no to that... how could I ever say no to _you_ ," 

"Guess I got worried over nothing then," I smiled, all the anxiety from earlier suddenly seemed so trivial. I suppose that somewhere deep inside of me I had known she was going to say yes. I had known she was going to say yes since the moment I met her back in 2010. She was in her first year of college and I was in my last. We had both been invited to the same party and when I saw her sitting at the bar alone, I knew I had to talk to her.  

We hit it off, learning we were the same age even though we were at different points in out college career. It had only gotten better from there. I learned all of her quirks, how she loved musicals, how she loved to tell cheesy jokes but hated to hear them, and so much more. We barely ever fought and everything had went really well.  

I was still really hesitant with this whole relationship in the beginning, as I had never been successful in relationships in the past. In high school I was extremely awkward and would always say or do something wrong. When I began college I thought I had met the right person but then she cheated on me and I had refused to date anyone after that.  

As I stand here now, I don't know why I thought this time would be any different. I mean, how was I supposed to know that her going on a simple walk to the store would end it all? 

"I'm going to the store, love," she said, grabbing her purse. I smiled, this would be the perfect opportunity to make her fill the car back up with gas. 

"The car is low on gas, so could you fill it up on your way?" I wondered what excuse she was going to come up with this time in order to get out of it. 

"I think I'll just walk. I don't need much and I haven't exercised much lately anyway," she gave me an innocent smile and began walking towards the door. 

"Anything to get out of filling up the gas tank," I rolled my eyes playfully, it was well known to me that Jasmine hated walking... but it was also well known that she hated the smell of gas stations even more.  

"You know me so well," she stuck her tongue out and left. I didn't realize that this would be the end of our engagement. I would never be able to joke around with her like this again. If I had known I would have told her that I would come with and fill up the gas tank for her. I would have made sure that we were together that entire day. 

I remember getting the call. It was Jasmine's brother, Darron. He had sounded so panicked, "Jay," he said, "I need you to get to the hospital, right now," 

I was so confused, "What happened? Tell me everyone is okay," my mood shifted extremely quickly. I had been so happy, planning wedding details... not knowing that it would all be useless in the end. 

"It's Jasmine," I nearly dropped the phone, "There was an accident, a hit and run and the doctor's aren't sure—" he began to choke up. 

"I'll be there immediately," I hung up, despite what I believed to be Darron's protests and I sprinted to the car with my keys in hand. I didn't even stop for gas, even though the car desperately needed it. I barely made it there with what I had, but that wasn't important to me. 

I was so panicked that I must've scared the poor lady at the desk. My voice was raised, and I couldn't seem to string a coherent sentence together. If it hadn't been for Darron hearing my voice and coming to get me, I don't know if I ever would have gotten to see Jasmine. 

She looked so broken when I got there that I thought If I touched her she might break, "Jay," she whispered, barely awake. She smiled her bright smile at me, "Come here Jay," 

I took a hesitant step forward, "Jasmine..." I could feel the tears welling in my eyes, "did they at least get the plate number of the person who hit you?" 

Darron stepped in, "There was a witness who took a picture of it as he was running to help her. They'll get that guy and bring him to justice, I promise you. He will not get away with what he has done," 

I nodded and turned back to Jasmine, "You have to get better soon, you know that right?" Tears began to fall, "We have so much to do, locations to pick, and you need to pick a wedding dress that you'll look absolutely stunning in. _Please,_ " I was beginning to become hysterical and it only got worse as I continued to talk. Her heart rate was slowing, but she still put an end to my rant as she placed a gentle hand onto my cheek. 

"Jay," her face was serious and her voice harder than I thought she could muster, "I am going to die," 

"No don't say that, you can't die. You arent allowed to _die,_ " I felt like I was betraying her as my heart rate began to speed up in fear. 

"They told us right before you arrived. There's nothing they can do, love" she explained slowly, her hand never moving from where she placed it on my face. 

"You deserve so much more than this," I sobbed, "You have so much ahead of you, more than I could ever dream of... please don't leave us alone," 

"Oh, love. I will always be with you, and from this moment on I will always think of myself as your wife. Lawful ceremonies be damned," she gave a weak laugh. 

There was no pun, no cheesy joke, "You're afraid," it wasn't a question. 

"Of course I am. I'm afraid for you, I'm afraid for my family, and I'm afraid of what happens to me after this. I never was one for religion, you know that," her heart rate would not stop slowing. 

I brought my hand up to hers and leaned into her touch, "I know that whatever happens to you, it will be phenomenal. How could it not be? You are the most perfect person to ever exist," 

"You flatter me," her eyes fluttered, "that's funny, I'm beginning to feel a bit weaker now," 

"Don't say that Jasmine, _please_ , you're the strongest person I know," I remember the feeling of her hand as she moved it to wipe away tears. 

"Jay," I looked down at her, "I love you so much, never forget that," 

"I love you too," I wanted to cry again, but I couldn't let her last image of me be sad. It was another ten minutes before she died and her hand went limp in my grasp but neither of us said anything else. We had said our goodbyes and we simply relished the last ten minutes of time we had together.  

I remember hearing Darron sob when the heart monitor went flat, I remember how the doctor lowered their head in shame for not being able to save her, and I remember going stiff as her body began to lose heat. I remember a nurse prying her hand out of mine as they were to take her away. I remember collapsing onto the ground after she was gone. I remember Darron pulling me off the ground and into a hug. We stood there for what seemed like forever and he called a friend to pick the both of us up as we agreed that we were in no shape to drive. 

A week ago I was happy, today I am not. A week ago I proposed to my fiancé. Three days ago she was taken from me. Today I am at her funeral and her name is written Jasmine Megan Clayton, never will it be Jasmine Knight. I'll never be able to see her face again and I don't know how much longer I can deal with the grief. 

\--------------- 

I lasted five more days. I couldn't bring myself to cook anything, and only occasionally would I find enough energy to go to the fridge and grab a drink. I didn't communicate with anyone except for Darron who had recovered enough to be able to function correctly. He would come over and cook for me, he had insisted on it when he saw the state I was in.  

On the first day I did nothing but cry. I laid in bed and did not move until Darron came to see how I was doing. He panicked and dragged me out of bed, sitting me down in the kitchen where he began talking to keep my mind occupied while he cooked. He quickly laid the food out in front of me and convinced me to eat and drink. Something I was in dire need of. 

On the second day I stared blankly at a computer screen, not reacting to anything I saw... but I wanted to give my almost brother in-law the illusion that I had tried to do something, he smiled when he saw me out of bed and we repeated the process of the other day. 

On the third day I fell ill, but I did not tell Darron. He wouldn't leave me be if I told him that I was sick and all I really wanted was to be left alone. I did not talk about how after he left I would trash all of the food he made because I got sick if I tried to eat it. 

I never thought that my inability to function would land me here in the hospital with glassy with no will to keep going. I didn't think I would put Darron into this situation again, and I certainly didn't mean too. 

I started getting dizzy on the fourth day. I would black out at times and wake up on the floor a few minutes later. I was extremely light headed but I couldn’t find the ability to care. If blacking out took my mind off of Jasmine then I would happily do it again and again. I did not tell Darron when he arrived to cook dinner. 

He found me on the fifth day, passed out in a pile of vomit as I had decided to try drinking some water this morning. He had panicked and called 911 immediately.  

"Jay!" He cried, "Jay please, you _have_ to be okay. You cant leave me like she did, please you can't! You're all I have left!" 

The ambulance arrived quickly, lifting me onto a stretcher. I must have blacked out because the next time I opened my eyes, I was in a hospital bed with a hysteric Darron at my side. 

"Hey, bro" I grabbed his attention. He looked incredibly relieved when I woke up. 

"You're awake!" His voice was happy, "They said they didn't know if you would or not and I was so _worried_ ," 

I knew I was all he had left, as he was also all that I had left, "If I woke up, there's gotta be a reason for it," trying to sound like I did before Jasmine died. I had been a strong believer in 'everything happens for a reason' up until Jasmine died. I couldn't accept that there was a reason for that, so I threw that philosophy out the window. 

"Of couse there's a reason, you idiot," he laughed, "The world still needs you," 

I smiled, "I sure hope so, cause i've been rather mad at it lately. I hope it doesn’t hold too much of a grudge," I tried to keep the mood up beat, but I felt like death. I hoped that it didn't mean I was going to die... not after I had just made up my mind to live for Darron. He needed me now more than ever and I had made the selfish decision to not tell him that I was sick, and that I wasn’t eating. 

The doctor came in minutes later and looked surprised when he saw me awake, "Mr. Knight, you're awake," his voice sounded sad. 

"I am," I replied, it was a short answer... a _nervous_ answer. 

"Is there something you need to tell us, doctor?" Darron's voice sounded slightly panicked, "Isn't it a good thing that he woke up?" 

"I didn't want to have to tell the two of you this. I was hoping he would just fall into a coma," the doctor murmured, and i'm still not quite sure if we were meant to hear it. 

"Do you have something to _tell_ us," Darron grew impatient extremely quickly. 

"Mr. Knight has an extremely bad virus running through his system that is causing him to throw up everything that his body is digesting. Normally this wouldn't be a problem, but it looks like he has caused extreme malnutrition to himself... and we can't give him any sustenance to help him survive without him throwing it up which would only make it worse," the doctor explained, much too slow for Darron's apparent liking. 

"So what are you saying?" Darron sounded like he was about to cry. 

"If Mr. Knight cannot pass this virus in, at the most, the next three days without the help of anti-virals as we do not have any here right now... he is going to die," the doctor looked down in shame. 

"He's going to die because you don't have any _anti-_ _virals_ _?"_ Darron was now livid, his roller coaster of emotions taking me by complete surprise. 

"Even _with_ anti-virals, Mr. Knight seems to be extremely resistant to them. I don’t think they would be much of a help," the doctor seemed scared of Darron at this point. 

"Darron it'll be okay. I can pass this virus," I attempted to calm him down, "I woke up didn’t I?" 

Darron seemed to relax at my words, "I really hope so Jay, I can't lose you too," 

"Mr. Clayton," a nurse chimed in from the doorway, "Visiting hours are over, I ask that you come back in the morning" 

Darron gave an annoyed huff and turned to face me, "I'll see you tomorrow Jay. Please just try to stay alive," 

"I'll do my best," I joked, watching him leave the room. I sighed in relief once he left and I began to dry heave. I had been holding it in the entire time he was here, and the doctor ran over to comfort me. 

"How long have you needed to do this Mr. Knight?" he questioned frantically. 

I looked away, "Since I woke up," 

"You should have _told_ me," the doctor stressed. I'll have to analyze your blood again so I can analyze the virus. Please get some sleep Mr. Knight, I would prefer that you live as long as you can," 

I nodded and laid down, letting the exhaustion I had felt take over. I was asleep within seconds, probably to the doctors delight. 

He did not seem delighted when I woke again. He was giving me one of the most pity filled gazes I had ever seen on anyone's face. "Mr. Knight, I am afraid that you may not make it through the night," 

" _What_?" I questioned, "But you told me I had three days to beat this thing!" 

"Upon the revelation that you felt the urge to dry heave since you had woken up, I realized that things were worse than I feared. Upon closer inspection, it is highly probable that you will not make it through the night," he wouldn't meet my eyes.  

I remember my first thought being about Darron, "Have you told Darron yet?" 

"We are not at liberty to call people that are not immediately related to you about developments in your health. We attempted to call your parents but they refused to give us the time of day," the doctor replied. I felt anger course through my veins. 

"I need him to know," I stressed, "He's more like family to me than my parents could ever be," 

The doctor sighed, "Who am I to go against a dying man's wish?" 

"I am not dead yet, sir, so please do not treat me as such," my voice was extremely hostile and my eyes were glaring a hold into his head. The doctor simply nodded and quickly left to call Darron. 

It took Darron less than twenty minutes to reach the hospital, "Jay, he's lying right? You're gonna kick this virus out of your system and we're gonna go to your house and you're gonna recooperate. You're all I have left Jay... you can't die tonight," he was talking too fast and he was getting overexcited. I wondered if this is what it was like for Jasmine.  

I grabbed his hand with mine, "Darron, I don't want to leave you. Trust me I don’t, but I don't think I have a choice anymore and _god_ do I wish that I did," 

"Are you afraid to die, Jay?" Darron looked at me with broken eyes. 

"Of course I am. I understand what Jasmine meant when she said she was afraid for us. I am afraid of what you'll do with yourself after I leave you. I'm sure this is what Jasmine was afraid of when she died, and she's going to be so disappointed with me," I laughed, "don’t you think?" 

"I think she might be slightly disappointed," Darron answered, "But I also think she'll be proud that you tried to brave this all on your own. She'll be proud that you're fighting so hard to stay alive as long as you can," 

"You know a few days ago, if you hadn't come in and made me eat something... I probably would already be dead. So thank you, for giving me these few extra days to live and learn that I don't want to die... even though it doesn't seem like I have much of a choice at this point," I desperately tried to lighten the mood, but the look on Darron's face was telling me that I wasn't doing very well. 

"Jasmine told me to take care of you after we were told that she wouldn’t make it. If she'll be disappointed in anyone, it'll be me. She knew you were going to be self-destructive after she died, and I let it happen right in front of my eyes" Darron's tears fell onto my hand, and I shook my head vigorously. 

"Don’t say that! Don’t you _dare_ say that!" Darron looked shocked, "I kept this from you! This is all my fault. If I had just _told you_ that I was sick, then we wouldn't be here right now. I would be fine and you wouldn’t be sad and I ruined everything! Just like I always do..." 

"You're not allowed to blame yourself," argued Darron, "You're _dying_. You've done nothing but bring light into my sister and I's life. We were all alone before you came along, and now it's my fault that the last flicker of light is about to flicker out," 

"Well, I suppose since I refuse to admit it's your fault because it's _not,_  and you wont accept that it's mine... even though it _is_ ," Darron rolled his eyes, "We'll just have to blame the world," 

Darron laughed, and I felt happiness flow through me, "I suppose we will," 

The next few hours were rather uneventful, we talked and laughed and I nearly forgot I was going to die until a sick feeling began to plague me. I dry heaved for a few minutes, scaring the living daylights out of Darron. 

" _No_ ," he cried, "This can't be happening," he curled in on himself, 

I started to feel worse, meaning the pain meds were wearing off. The doctor told me I would have about an hour after they wore off. I couldn't tell Darron that, he would have a panic attack, "Darron, look at me. I'm fine. It was just a little spell of something," 

Darron calmed down slightly and looked me in the eyes, "You promise?" 

"I can promise you that I don't feel like dry heaving anymore, yes," it was the truth. The dizzy feeling in my head was not the feeling of dry heaving. 

"Okay," he relaxed. We continued talking until the doctor came in half an hour later. 

"Mr. Knight, have the pain meds worn off?" He asked, warranting a confused look from Darron. I nodded my head. 

"Thirty minutes ago," I looked away from Darron, I didn't want to see the look on his face. 

"You're feeling sick again aren't you?" The doctor asked, sitting across from me. 

"Extremely, I feel extremely sluggish as well. It's as if my body doesn't want to cooperate," I explained, I heard Darron let out a squeak of panic. 

"I'll be back in twenty minutes to check on you Mr. Knight," I saw the tears glistening in the doctor's eyes. He stood up to leave, but paused when he reached the door, "Goodbye, Mr. Knight," 

I knew what that meant, I had less than twenty minutes left in my life. Not that it surprised me. I was beginning to go numb. The bottom part of my body didn't want to cooperate with me while the top was in excruciating pain. 

"Jay," Darron's voice was extremely shaky, "Why didn't you tell me that your pain meds wore off? I could've gotten you more!" 

"I don't need any more, Darron," I said quietly, and I nearly cried when I heard the sharp breath he took. 

"How much longer?" Darron was shaking, he probably wasn't sure how to take the information. 

"Forty minutes," I lied, I didn't want to give him the right time. I didn't want him to know that he was quickly running out of time. I had about fifteen minutes left at this point. 

We sat there in silence for a few minutes until Darron finally spoke, "I have to go to the bathroom," 

I smiled, "Don't let me stop you," 

"As if I would ever let that happen," he let out a weak laugh before getting up and rushing into the bathroom in my room. I sighed, this was perfect. I grabbed the notepad next to me and quickly scribbled down a note for him. 

 _Darron_  

 _First of all, Goodbye. I didn't want you to be here when I died. I didn't want you to be able to feel the life drain out of my body like I did for Jasmine. Oh I can almost see her face, she's waiting for me. I need you to know that I love you. I love both you and Jasmine... in different ways of course. You're more like family to me than my family ever was and for that I am eternally_ _grateful_ _. There are so many things I want to say to you but alas I believe that it is time for me to go. She is holding out a hand to me, oh she looks so sad. Goodbye_ _Darron_ _. My friend, take your time. I will wait to see you on the other side._  

 _Jay_ _Kni_ _-_  

I died with the notepad in my hand. I guess fifteen minutes had been to generous, it had been more like ten. I remember when I began to see black dots appear in my sight, and then I saw Jasmine. She was everywhere, and she looked so sad. I had never seen her that sad before. Now I know she was sad because I was suffering, and she hated to see me suffer. She knew it was time for me to come with her when she reached for my hand. The moment I took it is the moment I died, and I was already dead when I saw Darron exit the bathroom to find me dead in the hospital bed. Jasmine gripped my hand as we were forced to watch as he broke down reading my note. 

We watched together as I was buried next to Jasmine and how Darron broke down at the scene. My parents had not chosen to show up so it was just my extended family and what was left of Jasmine's side of the family with Darron. Darron stayed there until it got dark. 

He grieved us for three days and joined us in four. _Suicide_. I was worried he was going to do that. We were all he had left and both of us left him. When we took his hand as he slowly began to die, Jasmine yelled at him, "You can be such an idiot sometimes?" 

"I'm sorry Jazz," he replied, looking down embarrassed, "I just couldn't do it anymore, none of our family even stayed around to grieve that much, and everyone who cared about me wouldn’t respond to my texts," 

"That doesn't mean your not an idiot," teased Jasmine, sticking her tongue out at her brother. 

"Now, now. Let's not bicker, children," I joked, both of them gasping in fake shock. I would never admit to them how much I missed this, just the three of us together. Never having a third wheel. 

We returned to the place you could call the afterlife. It seemed endless, there was room for everyone. I'm still not sure if this is just what the rest of my consciousness created to fill the void of death, but I try not to dwell on it as I believe that maybe there is something like an afterlife... and this is it. 

Oh, and if you ever do find the graveyard in which we are all buried, they are the only three graves that are close and right next to each other. Intricate 2-D metal hands connecting them, signifying that there was absolutely nothing that would cause us to be separated and they have the words, _Death is not a strong enough wall to keep three souls such as these apart,_ written on them. So in the end, I suppose I can call myself the happiest man that's not really alive.


End file.
